Guild Wars 2

For GW1 players LA was a special place. It took us from concern only about Ascalon to the big world. It was the port to New Lands. We got involved with its politics, its very survival. It was a special place.

And now it will be destroyed. To me, it seems like a final nail in the coffin of GW1 and its relationship to this game and story.

It is a sad ending to a great city that survived so much, only to be finally undone by a second rate villian with a contrived plotline unrelated to former Tyrian lore.

The last vestige of the old game. This is more of an exorcism than a living story.

Not really… The LA you knew in GW1 has already been destroyed. Only a few remnants remain, but other than that it is barely recognizable. LA has withstood many attacks, starting in GW1. It will rebuild as always.

Substance E.4852:

The real LA is a algae covered ruin under 50 feet of water.

I’m glad Pirateboatville is getting burned to the ground. The “yarr!” nautical theme got old really fast…

Perhaps, but, as someone who thoroughly enjoyed the last Guild Wars 2 novel, it’s disappointing to see Cobiah’s work be destroyed so quickly and meaninglessly. There was something to it – simple, quaint, interesting, and endearing. Brave characters gave their lives to make sure that this multi-racial city would stay standing.

Despite the terrible odds that the founders faced in rebuilding the city and in defending it, now it seems like that might all be taken away – and for nothing. I can only hope I’m wrong.

Duke Blackrose.4981:

Substance E.4852:

The real LA is a algae covered ruin under 50 feet of water.

I’m glad Pirateboatville is getting burned to the ground. The “yarr!” nautical theme got old really fast…

Perhaps, but, as someone who thoroughly enjoyed the last Guild Wars 2 novel, it’s disappointing to see Cobiah’s work be destroyed so quickly and meaninglessly. There was something to it – simple, quaint, interesting, and endearing. Brave characters gave their lives to make sure that this multi-racial city would stay standing.

Despite the terrible odds that the founders faced in rebuilding the city and in defending it, now it seems like that might all be taken away – and for nothing. I can only hope I’m wrong.

I have a feeling they will only do moderate damage to the town. It seems unlikely that they will completely level it or their whole “LA will endure!” idea goes down the toilet.

Worse case scenario, we will probably see some building replaced and a lot of new updated textures with some npcs in new spots but it will probably end up looking like the original LA overall.

I think it’ll probably be razed, at least the wooden portions of it. A lot of it is a shanty-town, so if it was set on fire it would probably burn down completely and only the buildings made of some type of stone or brick would be standing, and I think that’s what will happen to Lions Arch.

It’ll probably become a contested area full of events, and things where we have to retake it at some point, but I doubt it will look the same afterwords. I don’t think it’s a nail in the coffin connecting to GW1, as I feel like there’s already very little connecting the two so far so if anything we may stand a greater chance getting back to the roots and foundation of the Tyria we knew after this living story concludes. One can only hope, but I don’t think I’ll really miss Lions Arch in it’s current incarnation and the LA from gw1 is mostly under the water.

Divinity’s Reach ftw?

LA won’t be destroyed that much, too much of personal storyline is invested in LA. Unless they’re going to revamp everyone’s personal storylines, they’re not going to change LA that much.

The Mystic Forge will probably change and they’ll place fires in the areas the living world decorations always end up. Maybe the bank will collapse too. Add in some hostile mobs, some smoke, and darker lighting…

spoiler alert or i messed something since yesterday?

My guess? The penultimate update is the escape from Lion’s Arch. The final will be our return.

Reverence.6915:

Divinity’s Reach ftw?

LA won’t be destroyed that much, too much of personal storyline is invested in LA. Unless they’re going to revamp everyone’s personal storylines, they’re not going to change LA that much.

Exactly. This. I highly doubt they are just going to level it. They would have to, like you said, go back and change the Personal Story, but since the PS takes place about a year (maybe even more at this point) before the current events of Living World it would make no sense whatsoever.

They could “transport you back in time” since the story itself is instanced, but that would be tacky. I never dug the “time warp” thing in World of Warcraft. I hope they don’t start doing it here.

As it stands, the story happens a year or so before the current lore of GW2, but you never feel like you’re going back in time to complete the story. It still feels relevant to the game as whole. It’s pulled off quite nicely as a matter of fact.

No cheesy retconning or time warping or whatever you want to call it A-Net! Don’t totally wipe LA out! Just hurt it a little!

Also, to the OP, I didn’t play Gw1 so I don’t have the sentimental attachment, but I can understand where you are coming from. I felt similarly once Blizzard changed big portions of the WoW world for an expansion. It really nose-dived the game for me because it was like I didn’t know it anymore. I’m sorry you feel like they have deviated too far from what the game is to you, especially in terms of the world itself. That’s a crappy feeling to have.

I would tell you to just try and appreciate it for what it has become, but when I was in your position I was unable to do just that, so I’ll save you the empty advice.

that music from the “Prepare for the Escape from Lion’s Arch” video, the second i heard it it brings back memories of LA from the original, its crazy that even 16 month of gw2 hasn’t changed my association of where that music comes from.

edit: or hang on, is that music from the shiverpeaks ?? :/

It’s a logical consequence of events since they decided to abandon GW1. From the very first time GW2 story was presented, we were given a new theme. That theme is: “No matter what you have achieved, it’s all meaningless, because it’s going to be destroyed later on anyway”.
All our actions from GW1 either caused a disaster in GW2, or failed to prevent it. And while killing of Great Destroyer technically slowed down Primordius awakening, remember that it in itself was a retcon (in original version it was strongly suggested our battle was actually what woke him up – they changed that later on due to people’s dissatisfaction). Now, again, all the effort we have put in defending LA (both in GW1 and GW2) is being overturned, because Anet wants to show off their pet villain. I shudder to think what disaster will befall Orr due to defeat of Zhaitan. Because, based on last years experience, it’s just plain impossible we actually improved the situation there.

Alex.9567:

that music from the “Prepare for the Escape from Lion’s Arch” video, the second i heard it it brings back memories of LA from the original, its crazy that even 16 month of gw2 hasn’t changed my association of where that music comes from.

edit: or hang on, is that music from the shiverpeaks ?? :/

I can’t hear it from you post, but yeah, the gw1 musical themes do bring back those places. I think in GW2 they should have themed music to areas like they did in GW1. But well.

Found it, it is a Kryta theme

Astralporing.1957:

All our actions from GW1 either caused a disaster in GW2, or failed to prevent it. And while killing of Great Destroyer technically slowed down Primordius awakening, remember that it in itself was a retcon (in original version it was strongly suggested our battle was actually what woke him up – they changed that later on due to people’s dissatisfaction). Now, again, all the effort we have put in defending LA (both in GW1 and GW2) is being overturned, because Anet wants to show off their pet villain. I shudder to think what disaster will befall Orr due to defeat of Zhaitan. Because, based on last years experience, it’s just plain impossible we actually improved the situation there.

Without our interference in the Flameseeker prophecies Kryta would have fallen and become the battlefield for Mursaat and Titans. Without our and the Ebon Vanguard’s meddling after the fall of the dragon champion, Kryta would have been torn by civil war, there would be no queen Salma and no queen Jennah and there would not have been an alliance against the Dragons.

The main critism to the living story is that people couldn’t identify with it and that it didn’t matter enough. Now Scarlet is going to destroy that what many of us hold dear, you are all crying that it isn’t enough.

LA will always endure. It is pretty clear that we will finish off Scarlet soon enough and make her pay for all her misdeeds. After that we will rebuild Lion’s Arch and make it better then ever before!

Lion’s Arch is more then bricks and wood. As long as there are merchant willing to re-open their shops on top of the ruins, and players go there to trade our goods, there will always be a Lion’s Arch. No villain can stop that!!! the core of lion’s arch has always been us players and always will be!

The problem with Guild Wars 2 has nothing to do with Lion’s Arch. GW2 feel so different from GW1 that you would think they are two separate games with the same name.

While there may always be a Lions Arch, I feel they intend for it to be historical and as meaningful as the ruins of the Temple of Ages. By removing it as a player center they remove a lot of GW1 baggage connected to the site.

Then they can do whatever they wish to create “new” untroubled by connections to that “other” game.

I always remember what one of the early leads for Everquest 2 stated.. “the worst thing we ever did was name this Everquest 2”. 2 implies continuity for many, and some feel the label hampers creativity in new games. I honestly feel they may be distancing themselves even more from GW1 to allow for content unhampered by GW1 lore and connections.

Time will tell.

What would be cool is if they had lions arch rebuilt in honor of its original design after its reconstruction. Start opening up Underworld and re envisioned places we loved along with fresh new areas. The more they tie this game back into the old one the stronger i’ll become committed to it. I’m hoping this is an attempt to reconnect to its roots and not run from them or destroy them all together. I have to say i’m extremely excited from what I saw and heard. But what comes of it and follows in the following months will decide things for me.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

While there may always be a Lions Arch, I feel they intend for it to be historical and as meaningful as the ruins of the Temple of Ages. By removing it as a player center they remove a lot of GW1 baggage connected to the site.

Then they can do whatever they wish to create “new” untroubled by connections to that “other” game.

I always remember what one of the early leads for Everquest 2 stated.. “the worst thing we ever did was name this Everquest 2”. 2 implies continuity for many, and some feel the label hampers creativity in new games. I honestly feel they may be distancing themselves even more from GW1 to allow for content unhampered by GW1 lore and connections.

Time will tell.

Nowhere it is said that Lion’s arch will be permanetly destroyed. Also nobody said that the vigil keep will be the new permanent central town.
Actually, the fact that it is the Vigil keep indicates they have plans for the future. Making the Vigil keep the permanent new central town and transit hub will mean uneven promotion for the Vigil against the other two orders.

So I do believe a new central town will be build and I do believe it will be lion’s arch. If it will be rebuild as it was, or in a new refurbished way, remains to be seen, but a change of scenery doesn’t hurt in my experience. specially if they keep my new lighthouse (and make it open for public).

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

For GW1 players LA was a special place. It took us from concern only about Ascalon to the big world. It was the port to New Lands. We got involved with its politics, its very survival. It was a special place.

And now it will be destroyed. To me, it seems like a final nail in the coffin of GW1 and its relationship to this game and story.

It is a sad ending to a great city that survived so much, only to be finally undone by a second rate villian with a contrived plotline unrelated to former Tyrian lore.

The last vestige of the old game. This is more of an exorcism than a living story.

For me I don’t think there is room for any more coffin nails unless they hammer nails on top of nails. I played the game for so long before I realised I was waiting for the game to become a true sequel to GW which, let’s face it, is never going to happen. I think the old GW dev’s are all but gone, the consolised Michael Bay div’s are running the show now.

Paul.4081:

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

For GW1 players LA was a special place. It took us from concern only about Ascalon to the big world. It was the port to New Lands. We got involved with its politics, its very survival. It was a special place.

And now it will be destroyed. To me, it seems like a final nail in the coffin of GW1 and its relationship to this game and story.

It is a sad ending to a great city that survived so much, only to be finally undone by a second rate villian with a contrived plotline unrelated to former Tyrian lore.

The last vestige of the old game. This is more of an exorcism than a living story.

For me I don’t think there is room for any more coffin nails unless they hammer nails on top of nails. I played the game for so long before I realised I was waiting for the game to become a true sequel to GW which, let’s face it, is never going to happen. I think the old GW dev’s are all but gone, the consolised Michael Bay div’s are running the show now.

Hey, im not saying you should like the game or not, but this is not true. The current game director has been with Arenanet since atleast 2007 (his gw1wiki page was made then, but thats also the year the gw1 wiki was started, so prolly a lot longer).

Same goes for game designer Isaiah Cartwright, who has a prominent role as a dev, within Arenanet.

Bobby Stein (writer) has been with Arenanet since 2005.

Those are just some names I remember from the old days.
Yes some good names have left the company as well (Miss you Kekai Kotaki!!), but that happens everywhere.

The fact that both the writing team and game designing team have influential people from the early days, as well as a game director that has been with Arenanet forever, means that you are very wrong in this. As said, you don’t have to like the direction they are going, but there are still many off the old crew there.

edited, never mind, move along

I loved gw1 I only played for 3 years. I loved Lions Arch and Eye of The North sooo much. I loved seeing everything about LA, this variation ( and yes I read the books) has such a gross and flee market feel. I hope that pyscho sylvari blows it all outta the water. And brings back the ruins of LA from the depths. Maybe she saw a murssat/ or kilbron… And it drove her looney. Just as long as that aweful designed city get blown to bits! But that’s me… I’m one lowly player.

I think the whole Scarlet plot is crap, and destroying my favorite city just to keep the world changing is incredibly stupid on anet’s part. It’s like they want people to get angry and quit.

Should’ve destroyed Divinities Reach!

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

If you want Guild Wars 1 lore, you are playing the wrong game. Guild Wars 2 is 250 years in the future, so things are forgotten.

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

LA will be heavily destroyed. I hope we can build a new version of the city step by step over a long period of time. The Personal Story will act like a time machine to encounter the pre-Scarlet LA.

Finally Arenanet separates the time lines and put the Personal Story into the past whee as the Living World remains in presence. This is a long missing step in the right direction.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

If you want Guild Wars 1 lore, you are playing the wrong game. Guild Wars 2 is 250 years in the future, so things are forgotten.

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

the problem with this is how all the NPC’s treat each other can be semi based off of gw1 history (charr and humans). It even affects Map Completion and Events (as well as Personal Story). Without the history it would be a lot harder to explain stuff and connect some of the dots.

Reverence.6915:

Divinity’s Reach ftw?

LA won’t be destroyed that much, too much of personal storyline is invested in LA. Unless they’re going to revamp everyone’s personal storylines, they’re not going to change LA that much.

They’ve already stated that the PS parts of LA will take place in instances now. So, they can raze the whole thing to the ground if they want to and not hurt the PS.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

For GW1 players LA was a special place. It took us from concern only about Ascalon to the big world. It was the port to New Lands. We got involved with its politics, its very survival. It was a special place.

And now it will be destroyed. To me, it seems like a final nail in the coffin of GW1 and its relationship to this game and story.

It is a sad ending to a great city that survived so much, only to be finally undone by a second rate villian with a contrived plotline unrelated to former Tyrian lore.

The last vestige of the old game. This is more of an exorcism than a living story.

Um, okay. Bye.

Can’t sever ties that never existed in the first place, can you………….

I played Guild Wars 1. The destruction of LA isn’t the end of the world.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

Because GW1 should be the historic background for GW2 and what was historic background for GW1 should also be historic background for GW2

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

Are you serious? You don’t think that what happened 250 years ago influences the world today?

Spoiler alert!

Seriously. This is a warning, do not open the spoiler tag unless you want spoilers.

Spoilers the like of which will spoil things for the future in regards to LA.

I empathize with the OP’s point of view that this creates a discontinuity for them. But really, for me, the breaking point in Guild War’s lore came in Eye of the North. Just like any work of fiction, if you follow it long enough and close enough you will have your willing suspense of disbelief pushed beyond breaking. Many Dune fans felt this effect with the sixth novel, ‘Chapterhouse: Dune’, while others did not really notice the schisms until the prequel books written by Frank Herbert’s son.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

If you want Guild Wars 1 lore, you are playing the wrong game. Guild Wars 2 is 250 years in the future, so things are forgotten.

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

Really? You do not think that the events that happened 250 years ago change the way that you live? British Colonialism creating arbitrary national boundaries where long standing enemies are forced into being part of the same overarching nation, such as Iraq, is something that no one should care about because it was happening 250 years ago? It is rather difficult to claim that this ‘old lore’ does not have any modern impact…..

Miss Sugarific.8471:

Not really… The LA you knew in GW1 has already been destroyed. Only a few remnants remain, but other than that it is barely recognizable. LA has withstood many attacks, starting in GW1. It will rebuild as always.

Kinda like on Futuruama with New New York lol

This is the first time I can remember in all of the games I have played that the most important hub of activity will be destroyed. From what I gather, even the PS chapters that are in LA will be changed.

Do I think LA will endure in some form or other? Yes, I do. I think at some point it may be rebuilt, just not how it is now.

In response to the OP:
I really don’t think that they are trying to completely sever ties with GW1. I think they’re actually trying to get us to do something we haven’t done for a while. They are trying to make us CARE about what happens. By reading the forums, I think they succeeded.

Nah ;D , i think for GW1 players, special place was Kamadan aka Spamadan not LA xD

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

If you want Guild Wars 1 lore, you are playing the wrong game. Guild Wars 2 is 250 years in the future, so things are forgotten.

sure, tell that to the humans and the charr, let’s see how much they “forgot” about the hundreds of years of war between them….

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

without your 250 years ago stuff, you would not know america as it is now…there was only europe, asia and everything in between.

anyway, destroying LA completely would destroy everything that still makes this game guild wars, it’s like cutting a life line……you cut it and you’ll kill it…

Ashabhi.1365:

This is the first time I can remember in all of the games I have played that the most important hub of activity will be destroyed. From what I gather, even the PS chapters that are in LA will be changed.

Do I think LA will endure in some form or other? Yes, I do. I think at some point it may be rebuilt, just not how it is now.

In response to the OP:
I really don’t think that they are trying to completely sever ties with GW1. I think they’re actually trying to get us to do something we haven’t done for a while. They are trying to make us CARE about what happens. By reading the forums, I think they succeeded.

Yeah, well I suppose I could also make my neighbor “care” by burning his garage down but I doubt there would be a positive outcome.

Mazreal Blackknight.1564:

I loved gw1 I only played for 3 years. I loved Lions Arch and Eye of The North sooo much. I loved seeing everything about LA, this variation ( and yes I read the books) has such a gross and flee market feel. I hope that pyscho sylvari blows it all outta the water. And brings back the ruins of LA from the depths. Maybe she saw a murssat/ or kilbron… And it drove her looney. Just as long as that aweful designed city get blown to bits! But that’s me… I’m one lowly player.

It’s actually quite a nice city, but it’s not the Lion’s Arch I know. A lot of the environment designs are really top notch, but it’s like they’re from a different game universe.

kluki.3915:

Nah ;D , i think for GW1 players, special place was Kamadan aka Spamadan not LA xD

Kama was the “modern” gw1 city where everyone was (is). LA was the “old town” where you’d arrive and hear the music and immediately remember doing the epic villainy of galrath quest for the first time ever being way underleveled and under geared but loving it anyway.

As a general comment about the destruction of LA in GW2 I really don’t have any feelings about it. It feels like a manufactured crisis, and it doesn’t interest me.

milo.6942:

As a general comment about the destruction of LA in GW2 I really don’t have any feelings about it. It feels like a manufactured crisis, and it doesn’t interest me.

The whole Scarlet story is one giant manufactured crisis.

As for severing ties with GW1… that s already been done on many levels.

Dance party in Marhan’s Grotto. What’s up?

How exactly do people come up with these ideas? That this Living Story chapter is constructed to remove any association between GW1 and GW2?

Like seriously..if you hate this game that much, at least say so. Don’t try to hide it behind some BS idea like this.

RedShipRaider.9560:

I empathize with the OP’s point of view that this creates a discontinuity for them. But really, for me, the breaking point in Guild War’s lore came in Eye of the North. Just like any work of fiction, if you follow it long enough and close enough you will have your willing suspense of disbelief pushed beyond breaking. Many Dune fans felt this effect with the sixth novel, ‘Chapterhouse: Dune’, while others did not really notice the schisms until the prequel books written by Frank Herbert’s son.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

People forget that GW2 is 250 years after GW1…………… I do not see how old lore could make it back into GW2 from GW1…..

If you want Guild Wars 1 lore, you are playing the wrong game. Guild Wars 2 is 250 years in the future, so things are forgotten.

Lets look at real life…. do you really care what happened 250 years ago?

Really? You do not think that the events that happened 250 years ago change the way that you live? British Colonialism creating arbitrary national boundaries where long standing enemies are forced into being part of the same overarching nation, such as Iraq, is something that no one should care about because it was happening 250 years ago? It is rather difficult to claim that this ‘old lore’ does not have any modern impact…..

Absolutely. +1 to you RedShipRaider. This game is built off of the first game. We loved the first game for what it was and want to see lots of elements from that game. If they are just going to cast what happened in the first game aside, why even call the game Guild Wars 2? Is that so hard to understand for some people?

The things and places were as much a part of why GW1 was such a success. Why WOULDN’T they want to incorporate it? For new people it would be interesting history. For those of us that were devoted to the original Guild Wars, it would be bringing us back to the things we loved. Everybody wins.

Old LA was alright, I have stronger ties to pre-searing Ascalon. I actually like this new LA more than the old, will be sad to see it go but hopefully ANet is trying to give us more incentive to regularly visit racial cities.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

Ashabhi.1365:

This is the first time I can remember in all of the games I have played that the most important hub of activity will be destroyed. From what I gather, even the PS chapters that are in LA will be changed.

Do I think LA will endure in some form or other? Yes, I do. I think at some point it may be rebuilt, just not how it is now.

In response to the OP:
I really don’t think that they are trying to completely sever ties with GW1. I think they’re actually trying to get us to do something we haven’t done for a while. They are trying to make us CARE about what happens. By reading the forums, I think they succeeded.

Yeah, well I suppose I could also make my neighbor “care” by burning his garage down but I doubt there would be a positive outcome.

True, but I didn’t say that it would be positive or negative, just that a lot of the posts I have seen gives me hope that people actually do care (good or bad) about what happens in the game.

That is the point I was trying to make.